Map holder



June 21, 1927- A. o. RUNNING MAP HOLDER Filed Oct. 19, 1925' INVENTOR d. Q/izzazz ATTORNEYS Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES ALBERT o. RUNNING, or DALLAS, Wisconsin.

HAP HOLDER.

Applioation flled October 19, 1925. Serial in. 68,471.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for holding maps or road guides 1n convenient posltion for the drivers of automobiles to read, and it consists in the com-- binations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a device which may be readily attached to and be supported by the windshield of the automobile, and which holds a road map printed on a card, or one pasted to a card orsimilar sheet, in such position as to be readily viewed by the driver.

A further object of my invention is -to provide a device of the type described having means whereby the card may be held rigidly when in use. and may be instantly attached or detached.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple device for accomplishing the above named results, consisting of relatively few parts, the device being inexpensive and taking up very little room.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification. and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the device,

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 ofFigurel,

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modified form of the device, and

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5--5 of Figure 4.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a vacuum cup 6 of rubber or suitable material. and preferably of the shape shown in Figure 2. This cup has a knob 7 which may be forced through an opening 8 in a metal clip. The latter. as will be seen from the drawings, is made from a single piece of sheet metal having a main body portion 9 in which the opening 8 is located, being bent at 10. and then bent back upon itself at 11. The body portion 9 is of spring metal and is provided with spring fingers. In the drawing, two of these fingers 12 are bent at a sharper angle than the intermediate finger 13 so as to leave a space between the fingers- -12 and 13. The end of the finger 13 is bent while the fingers 12 have a similar outward bend 12.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. A card 14 containmg a roa map or the like is thrust between the spring fingers 13 and 12. The suction cup is attached to the windshield 15 and the device is ready for use. As will be seen from Figure 2, the upper portion of the map holding device is supported by the suction cup. The windshield, however, has a portion bearing thereon at 11 which tends to partially support the holdmg device, and tends to steady the latter when the map is attached thereto. Furthermore, the spring fingers, as will be observed from the drawings, are inclined forwardly and downwardly when the suction cup is secured to the windshield so as to bring the map in the best position for inspection by the driver or occupant of the seat.

When it is desired to remove the map, all that is necessary is to pull outwardly and downwardly in alignment with the spring fingers when the release of the map is easily accomplished. The card or sheet may be readily reinserted without releasing the vacuum cup.

In Figures 4 and 5. I have shown a modified form in which the holding device is in a single piece. In these figures, it will-be noted that the vacuum cup 16, which is attached to the windshield 15, has. as an integral portion thereof. a forwardly projecting body portion 17 This body portion has an upper lip 18 and is provided with a proiecting portion 19 in the form of a pin. The surface adjacent the face of the pin 19 is flat, but is inclined in the manner shown. The lip 18 overlies a slot, the base of which is an extension of the flat surface.

In order to attach the map 14* to the holding device. the map has to be perforated, as at 20. The end of the card 14* is thrust underneath the lip 18 and the opening 20 is brought down over the pin 19, when the card will be held in position'for ready inspection. In this form, as well as in the preferred form. the card is held rigidly at the proper angle for easy reading, and it may be instantly attached or detached without removing the vacuum cup from the windshield.

In both forms of the device, the card is p v d it m shifting laterally or rotating; the frictional engagement of the fin rs preventing this in the form shown in igures 1 2 and 3, and the pin 19 cooperating form shown in Figures 4 and 5.

I claim:

A card holding device ientvacuum cup ada ted to be secured to a windshield having a nob, a metal holding member consisting of a single iece of sheet metal having an o ening a apted to be forced over the kno to secure the holding with the lip 18 to prevent such action in the comprising a resilmember to the knob, said holdin member i being bent towardisaid windshie d to engage the latter, and having int a1 opposed sprin fingers bent downwar y and outward y in substantially parallel relation, the ends of the opposing spring fingers nbeing bent away from each other, and said fingers being arranged to receive and retain a card in an inclined position with respect to the windshield.

' ALBERT O. RUNNING. 

